It’s not an alien, it’s Amazon’s drone mothership

Amazon has received a patent that will make possible to deliver packages to its customers in a matter of minutes with an innovative delivery system that will bring the future one step closer. The company might start handing the goods to every shopper directly into their hands, after a short air trip on a drone.

The patent application was introduced in 2014 and granted in April 2017, but it was only revealed on Wednesday when Zoe Leavitt, an analyst at technology data and research firm CB Insights, made it public.

The big project will represent a gigantic step into the improvement of delivery systems because it is going to allow shoppers to order their goods and receive them just minutes later with a drone knocking on their doors. A project this big requires extensive planning and development, but the reward is worth it.

How would the drone delivery system work?

In theory, the Airborne Fulfillment Center(AFC), A.K.A “The Mothership,” would hover at an altitude of 45,000 feet over one of the many closed areas Amazon is going to establish. It would have a stock of goods and drones.

When customers purchase something from the website, a drone will take the package from the storage and deliver it to the client’s address.

The errand drones have wings that allow them to glide using the minimum amount of energy possible. Once the user has the package, the delivery droid would return to base, ready for the next task.

The AFC would have another type of drones, which will function as shuttles. This way, it would be possible to transport other necessary things, such as merchandise, fuel, supplies and even workers, according to Amazon’s engineers.

Amazon’s engineer have a Herculean task

The drone-delivery system Amazon is working on is something futuristic every person would like to use, but it is easier said than done.

Having the AFC hovering in the sky for extended periods might represent a challenge for Amazon’s engineers because they have to take into account weather conditions. The weather might affect the process of moving merchandise from an altitude of 45,000 feet.

There is also the weight factor. The drones can only handle certain weight before it affects their aerodynamics.

Many are the factors the company has to take into consideration before making the big move, but this project can be something that will bring the future one step closer.

Is it really possible?

Many are the people who would naturally be skeptical about such a complex project, but delivering packages using operative drones is already possible.

Amazon has already proven doing it is entirely possible. A customer in Cambridge received an Amazon package via drone on December 7, 2016.